


10 Dates of Christmas

by alexspacesout



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: 12 Days of Christmas, 12 dates of christmas, Bar, Christmas, Cute, First Date, First Kiss, Fluff, Ice Skating, Lights, Love, M/M, Snow, Winter, aot - Freeform, date, erenxlevi - Freeform, ereri, snk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-09 03:13:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5523287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexspacesout/pseuds/alexspacesout
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi gets set up on a blind date with this nice guy that is apparently "perfect for him", but gets interrupted by an ex. Mistakenly, he leaves before it ends and it results in a rewind- 10 times, to be exact, each time realizing more and more how wonderful this blind date really is.</p><p>If you're looking for wintery fluff and cute stuff, this is the right place!</p><p>Based off of ABC Family's "12 Dates of Christmas"</p>
            </blockquote>





	10 Dates of Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> This is all going to be from Levi's point of view, and each day is separated by the number date it is. It can be interpreted as Christmas-y or wintery, it doesn't specify anything about Christmas. Enjoy! I recommend reading this while listening to some romantic music, it should bring in the feel a little better.

With a sigh, I push open the door of the sleazy bar and head directly to the back with the intention of sitting down for a drink before my blind date arrives. Along the way, I feel someone brush the edge of my sharp black blazer, drawing a glance from me. A hideously greasy man winks at me and takes a long swig of his beer. I easily turn back around, discreetly flipping the bird behind my back while continuing my journey.

 

I slide into the bar stool to the far right at the very end, hoping to limit my human interaction to a minimum. I wave my hand to get the bartenders attention and order a glass of red wine. Despite having a brave exterior and strong will, I still get the jitters before dates, especially blind dates. When the wine arrives, I gratefully take a large swig and gently place the glass back on the counter. I raise my head to take a quick look around for the mysterious man with a red rose, but turn my head back to my glass when I fail to spot him. 

 

Elbows resting on the counter and wine glass between my arms, I put my head in my hands and make gentle circles on my temple, trying to soothe my anxious thoughts and prepare myself for potentially the worst date ever. When Hanji had been describing him to me, she used the most generic terms known to a single and searching man.

 

"He likes long walks on the beach and someone who isn't afraid to have fun. Oh, and get this, he writes music, too! Just like you, Levi! Oh, he's so nice, you're going to love him." Even just thinking about it makes me roll my eyes; I'm sure that everything about him is just as cliche.

 

"Two beers, please." A man slides in next to me and places his coat on the stool beside him. I quickly turn my gaze away before he notices me, suddenly interested in the rim of my wine glass.

 

"Hey there." I ignore the man, certain that he's talking to someone else. At least, I was until I felt his gaze burning through me. Hoping to disinterest him, I respond with a little grunt and keep my eyes on the slowly disappearing wine in the bottom of my glass.

 

"What's up with you, Mr. Scrooge?"

 

I glower in his direction, looking up through the fringe of my hair to mask my eyes. That's when I notice the red rose sitting in the pocket of his sweater, seemingly mocking me. "Ahem, excuse me sir, you wouldn't happen to be...uh..." I quietly whisper the last part, already certain of his answer.

 

"What did you say?" The man sips his beer slightly and leans against the bar casually.

 

"Eren, are you Eren?" I keep looking at my wine glass, preparing for his destined answer.

 

"Levi?" The man looks a little surprised and raised his eyebrow in my direction. I give a slight nod and wince at his chuckle. "Hanji told me you weren't the brightest person-"

 

"She told you WHAT?" I suddenly whip my head up and grip my empty glass tightly in my fist, struggling to control myself.

 

The man, surprisingly, only slightly flinched at my outburst. "I guess that came out a bit wrong, I mean, I heard that you aren't a very happy person." He smiles softly, easily soothing my previous anger. The way he is able to handle the unexpected anger suggests he either already deals with it on a regular basis or he himself struggles with it. Then again, it could be both...

 

"No, uh, I'm sorry." A beat of silence follows, both of us looking at our glasses to wait for the other to continue. After waiting a bit, I open my mouth to speak.

 

"So, how are-I heard that-you doing-you liked to-tonight?" Our words overlap in an indecipherable way and draws a gentle chuckle out of the both of us.

 

"Why don't you go first."

 

"No, no, I insist you go first." Eren hesitates, obviously considering offering again, then likely realizes I wouldn't give in and begins talking.

 

"So, how are you doing tonight?" Rather than looking past me at something or at his half-empty glass, like most other people tend to do, he looks dead at my face as though he is genuinely interested. Something about his eyes reveals that his soul is more mature than his body, and I can honestly say it draws me in.

 

"I'm doing okay, just a bit-" Suddenly my phone begins to blare with an incoming call. Blushing furiously, I quickly scramble to pull it out of my coat and answer it before he realizes that it's the theme song for my favorite anime, Attack On Titan.

 

"Hello? Oh, of course! I'll be there in just a minute, see you then." I hang up and swing myself off the bar stool, my feet landing on the ground with a soft _thud._ "Look, I'm sorry Eren but something important just came up and I have to go take care of it, maybe next time?"

 

Eren nods politely but doesn't smile, instead he turns back to his beer and waves the bartender down for a refill. With a sigh, I slip my sleek black coat on and step out into the bitter cold night, hailing a taxi to speed me downtown.

 

I spend the car ride eagerly tapping my hand on my leg and looking out the window, as though I'm expecting him to pop out any minute. I leave the taxi driver a generous tip and exit the cab, hopping up onto the curb with childish excitement. I begin to walk towards our arranged meeting place, outside the little storefront that we had first met at. However, before I get there, I get intercepted by the very man that I had been racing to see.

 

We both freeze a moment to take each other in after not seeing each other for over a year, then he moves in closer.  _If you love me, you'll smile...please smile...ah, he smiled!_

 

 I stand frozen on the spot and smile widely up at him, expecting some kind of romantic music to begin playing and for him to move in for the reunion kiss. But my dreams are crushed before our metaphorical kiss even gets to happen when a young woman walks up behind him with a dog in her arms.

 

"Levi, here's Maxine, I'm sorry I didn't give her back sooner, I just couldn't let go of such a cute little dog." Stunned, I let him place Maxine in my arms quietly, ruffling his ears lightly to show his last bit of affection. My eyes follow on the girl behind him, letting him know about the question torpedoing around in my head.

 

"Oh, Levi, this is my girlfriend, Rachel." He looks at Rachel with a smile wider than he had given me and gives her a little kiss on the cheek.

 

"Oh." The sound comes out like a little squeak, barely audible. He leaves me a moment to respond, then realizes I don't intend to and gears up to leave.

 

"Well, we better get going, we don't want to miss the party, bye Levi!" He turns around and tucks one hand in his pocket, the other hand in Rachel's.

 

_A girl. The love of my life left me for a girl, how could this day get any worse._

 

Alone, cold, and heartbroken, I make my way down the slushy city streets back to my apartment. The only thing I can think about the whole way back is the tub of ice-cream I have waiting in my freezer. When I reach my apartment building, just before I press the button for the elevator, my phone buzzes with a text alert from Eren.

 

**_Levi, I don't think this is going to work out, sorry._ **

**_-Eren_ **

 

As the elevator dings its arrival, I tuck the phone back in my pocket no longer giving a damn about Eren. The only things I care about at this point are the tub of ice-cream, my comfiest pair of PJ pants, and my anime.

 

After turning the key in the door, I immediately rush for my PJ's and prepare myself a bowl of mint chocolate chip.  _On second thought..._  

 

 

Eating out of the tub of ice-cream, I settle down in my bed and re-watch Attack On Titan from episode one. I hardly notice as the time passes, gradually getting up to episode 13 before falling asleep just as the time approaches midnight.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  **DATE NUMBER 2** ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

I awake to the sound of the dogs barking their heads off next door. I turn my head to the side to look at the clock and see that it's exactly 7:02, the time I had woken up yesterday.  _That's odd..._

 

Stretching and yawning, I shuffle my way to the bathroom slowly, stubbing my toe on the same corner as yesterday morning.  _Ugh, I hate that little piece of shit corner, bullying me like that, I ought to give it a piece of my mind!_

 

I hobble the rest of the way to the bathroom, leaning on the wall to help me maintain my balance. I went with the intention of  _going_ , but stop when I notice the pool of water around the toilet. The damned thing flooded again!! 

 

In a terrible mood, I hobble to the phone and call the landlord, only to get the answering machine. "-and you better fix it quick!" I slam the phone down and crawl back into bed, giving up for the day. Everything that had gone wrong yesterday is going wrong again today.

 

After staring at the ceiling for a few minutes, I decide to check my iPhone for any notifications. A single message blinks on the screen from an unknown number. Surprised, I open it to see that it's the same opening message Eren had sent me about the blind date.

 

_**Know what's on the menu? Me-n-u, are you ready for the blind date today? I was thinking we could meet at Maria's Bar, sound good?** _

_**-Eren** _

 

At this point I know that something is definitely up, everything that's happening today matches almost exactly with what happened yesterday. Just to make sure, I decide to check the calendar on my phone. I hold my breath in anticipation as the app slowly loads, bringing up the dates. 

 

"WHAT?!" I quickly cover my mouth, not meaning to shout. "What the hell? How is it Saturday again?! It's supposed to Christmas Eve Eve today!"

 

I scramble out of bed and throw some clothes on haphazardly, grabbing mismatching sock and my old sweatshirt to quickly run over next door. I practically pound the door down trying to get Hanji's attention.

 

"Hanji. Hanji. Hanji. HANJI. HANJI. HANJIIIIIII." The doors whips open to reveal a tired looking Hanji with half of her hair out of her ponytail and glasses hanging crookedly on her nose. "Morning sunshine." I storm past her and into the apartment, heading directly to the kitchen to make myself a strong cup of tea.

 

"Leviii, what's wrong? I was working on something important." I don't turn around until I'm sure the water is on the stove and beginning to boil. It's only then I notice her lab coat hanging off of her sagging shoulders.

 

"You know how sometimes it feels like something already happened to you; like you can swear you've already experienced it?"

 

"You mean deja vu?" Hanji is already pepping up at the mention of something scientific-y.

 

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Well, I think I'm experiencing it right now. This whole day, from the moment I woke up, feels the exact same as yesterd- but wait, was that even yesterday anymore? Oh, I don't know what to do." The kettle begins to whistle in the background, drawing me to finish making my tea eagerly to ease my nerves.

 

"Oh, this is all very interesting, tell me more about you deja vu." Hanji takes a seat on a stool at the kitchen counter and pulls out a pad of paper from her lab coat, readying to write down everything I say.

 

\-----------------

 

I decided to take Hanji's advice and do nothing for the rest of the day in hopes of changing the course of the day into something unfamiliar. That included missing out on the blind date, but I couldn't refuse seeing my ex.

 

I spend the car ride eagerly tapping my hand on my leg and looking out the window, as though I'm expecting him to pop out any minute. I leave the taxi driver a generous tip and exit the cab, hopping up onto the curb with childish excitement, the same as last time. I begin to walk towards the storefront, speeding up my pace to get there faster. As I expected, I get intercepted by the man I had been looking for.

 

We both freeze a moment to take each other in, for him the first time in a year, only a day later for me, then he moves in closer.  _If you love me, you'll smile...please smile...oh, this better work out._

 

 I stand frozen on the spot and smile widely up at him, hoping for some kind of romantic music to begin playing and for him to move in for the reunion kiss. But, once again, my dreams are crushed when the same young woman walks up behind him with the dog in her arms.

 

"Levi, here's Maxine, I'm sorry I didn't give her back sooner, I just couldn't let go of such a cute little dog." Disappointed, I let him place Maxine in my arms quietly, ruffling his ears lightly to show his last bit of affection. My eyes follow on the girl behind him, this time in anger. Although, it's more towards my ex than Rachel.

 

"Oh, Levi, this is my girlfriend, Rachel." He looks at Rachel with a smile and gives her a little kiss on the cheek.

 

"Oh." Before I can stop it, the little squeak comes out. He leaves me a moment to respond which I spend desperately trying to find something to say to make it go in a different direction than I knew it was going.

 

"Well, we better get going, we don't want to miss the party, bye Levi!" He turns around and tucks one hand in his pocket, the other hand in Rachel's.

 

_That girl. The love of my life left me for Rachel, the little shit, how could this day get any worse._

 

Alone, cold, and even more heartbroken, I make my way down the slushy city streets back to my apartment. The only thing I can think about the whole way back is the tub of ice-cream I have waiting in my freezer. Thankfully, since this is  repeated day, I don't have to worry about gaining any pounds or calories...at least, I hope so...When I reach my apartment building, just before I press the button for the elevator, my phone buzzes with a text alert from Eren.

 

**_Levi, what happened to our date tonight?_ **

**_-Eren_ **

 

As the elevator dings its arrival, I tuck the phone back in my pocket deciding to maybe give a damn about Eren, since it seems like this whole ex thing isn't going to work out. The only things I care about at this point are the tub of ice-cream, my comfiest pair of PJ pants, and my anime.

 

After turning the key in the door, I immediately rush for my PJ's and prepare myself a bowl of mint chocolate chip. Eating out of the tub of ice-cream, I settle down in my bed and re-re-watch Attack On Titan from episode one. I once again get up to episode 13 before falling asleep, hoping that tomorrow would be a new day.

 

_**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~** _ **DATE NUMBER 3~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

"Damn it! 7:02 again!"

 

\--------------

 

After a lot of debating, I finally decided to not waste today and actually try to make this blind date with Eren a good one. After all, he didn't do anything wrong, I was the one that left in the middle for an ex.

 

This time, I let Eren arrive first and casually stroll up to the bar. I make sure to wait until he had already ordered the beers, then tap him n the shoulder. "Eren?"

 

He turns around with a bright-eyed smile. "Levi? Nice to meet you." He sticks his hand out and politely shakes mine with an air of authority. It most likely came from being the one to arrive early, rather than it being me.

 

I take the same stool and raise my hand to wave the bartender over.

 

"Oh, you don't have to do that, I already got you a drink." Eren slides his second beer across the counter to me.  _Oh, so that second beer wasn't for him..._

 

I smoothly catch it and take a sip, immediately recoiling. I enjoy strong and bitter things, but that beer was far too strong for my taste. Eren notices my reaction and looks at me with a face of genuine concern. "You alright, Levi?" I nod and cough lightly, pushing the beer  away from me as though it would take the taste out of my mouth. "Do you like curly fries? Maybe that'll help." With my silent nod of approval, Eren orders a large plate of curly fries with cheese.

 

As we wait for the fries to come, we decide to make some small talk to gradually get to know each other.

 

"What do you think about winter, the season, I mean." Eren sips his beer casually and keeps his eyes focused on me as I respond.

 

"It's my favorite season, by far. Despite getting cold easily, the chill is nice and refreshing. Hanji says I'm a man of beauty that sees no beauty, but that's not true. The snow makes the world look magnificent and new. And can you believe that each individual snowflake is entirely unique? Originality is a wonderful thing, you know." I take a deep gulp of air at the end of my little speech, having not breathed while speaking with so much guarded enthusiasm.

 

"Oh really? My favorite season is spring, with everything brand new and all the cute little baby animals, oh, I could just go on about them all day!" Eren's eyes brighten significantly and his hands begin to flap wildly through the air as he animatedly talks about his passion. "There was this one time that I was visiting a friend's farm and one of the horses was about to give birth. I was nearly leaving when they called me in to help out, it was the most beautiful thing I've ever experienced." Eren's eyes get a dream-like quality while he reminisces. All I can think about is how disgusting the birth must've been, I would've needed a million showers after that.

 

Eren notices my disgusted expression and begins to shift towards a different topic. "So, what do you like in a guy?" I tense up slightly, the question seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

 

"I...uh, well...I guess someone who's honest-"

 

"Check."

 

"-and chivalrous-"

 

"Check."

 

"-and doesn't mind not getting dirty."

 

Eren does a little eyebrow wiggle and huskily whispers "Check." I stare blankly at him and watch as he processes what I actually said. I can tell when he figures it out because his cheeks flush slightly. "Oh, uh, of course."

 

"What about you, what do you like in a guy?" Eren visibly relaxes when he sees how easily I move on.

 

"Well, my husband-"

 

"Woah, wait, what?!" I kick back the stool and grab my coat. "Hanji didn't say anything about you having a damn husband, damn that Hanji...Look, Eren, sorry not sorry, but I'm out."

 

Forgetting about the curly fries, I storm out of the bar.  _Ice-cream and anime, here I come._

 

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ DATE NUMBER 4 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Today I decide to not give a shit. It seems like I'm doomed to repeat this day forever, so why bother doing something with it when you can do nothing? Or better yet, anything you want?

 

Whenever I feel stressed about something, or I just want some time alone to think, I like to take a walk downtown and through the park. Since today seems to have been a pretty warm day the past few times I've lived it, I decide to go out or a walk. Before I leave the apartment, I make sure everything is in tip-top shape for my return later on. I forsee ice-cream and anime in my future and I refuse to live that in a dirty future.

 

Satisfied, I grab my keys and my phone before slipping out and locking the door behind me. I jab my earbuds in my ears and set off on my journey with Panic! At the Disco serenading me along the way.

 

I figured that I can spend my time on this walk thinking about my current standings and figuring out how to take some kind of control where my days will go. Why am I repeating this day? How can I return to normal? How many times will it repeat? I get so lost in my thoughts that I don't pay attention to where I'm going and bump into someone.

 

Without looking up, I bend down and pick up the small, black box to return to the owner. "Sorry, sir, I-" Shortly before the box exchanges hands, I realize who the owner is: my ex. Of all people in the whole damn world, it had to be my ex. The worst part is, he was down on one knee to pick it up. The situation resulted in disaster, and what do you do when there's a disaster? You run. So that's what I did, I ran. I didn't look back, I just ran.

 

The wind was biting cold and my earbuds were falling out of my ears. My feet pounded hard and fast, taking me far away from everybody and everything. And that's where I remained until midnight that night, no ice-cream for me.

 

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ DATE NUMBER 5~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

Left with no other option, I go out to meet Eren once more. If my ex can both date and propose to someone within a year after breaking up, then I can handle a good first date. 

 

This time, I decide to arrive early to hopefully surprise him and not worry about getting the bad beer. Before I even get the chance to wave the bartender over, Eren is already getting in the seat next to me once again. I smile politely at him, even though it's a bit forced, and introduce myself.

 

"Hello, I'm Levi, and by the looks of your rose, you must be Eren." I hold my hand out to him and give it one firm shake, pleased with the confidence I presented myself with.

 

"Nice to meet you Levi, would you like something to drink?" Eren slips his wallet out of his back pocket and takes out a $20, prepared to pay for me. I already know that I'm going to say no, but the offer is sweet enough to get me to like him somewhat. After the whole husband thing and my ex, I felt kind of bad judging him so quickly like that. I spent some time thinking about it on my walk and I decided to casually bring the topic up and really hear from him what that was about.

 

"No thanks, I'm good, I already had something to drink." Well, I almost did. He got here before I could tell the bartender. But I would rather suffer without a drink than make Eren believe that I thought I was above his "petty" offer. We wait silently for a bit before his drink arrives, but as soon as the glass hits the table the words get rolling.

 

"So, Eren, what do you think of first impressions?"

 

\-------------------------

 

The conversation flowed so naturally from topic to topic that I couldn't even retrace how we got from first impressions to Sesame Street.

 

"And Elmo's laugh, though! It's terrifying!!" Eren practically shrieks with honest laughter, drawing deep chuckles from me.

 

"But what about Bert and Ernie? They are  _sooo_ gay for each other, it's painfully obvious." Eren nods in agreement and takes the last sip of his first beer. I could tell that he was purposely restraining himself to remain sober in front of me, and I am rather grateful for that.

 

"Hey Eren, I don't want to intrude or anything, and it's okay if you don't want to answer, but what was the last relationship you had like?" The tone of the conversation suddenly slips from light-hearted fun to treading on thin ice. A few moments of suspense hung in the air while I tried to figure out if I crossed a line, then Eren finally opened his mouth and began to talk about his husband.

 

"I had met him in high school and we were the power couple of the school. Surprisingly, we made it just through college and married the day after graduation. I could tell we were meant to be, the connection was so strong." Eren pauses to take a deep breath to prevent the emotions from overwhelming him. "But one day he was driving home from work and he got caught up in a big car crash. The damage to his brain was too much, they ended up pulling the plug." Eren's face, once bright and smiley, is now grim and sad and I feel a little pang knowing that it was me to cause the pain.

 

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to bring you down." I reach out to touch his shoulder, then recoil when I realize that this is technically the first time he has met me and it would be a bit awkward to- "Oof!"

 

Suddenly Eren has me in his arms with his chin, likely on accident, resting on my shoulder. "Thanks for the first date, but I really have to get going now." The pain is evident in his voice as he grabs his jacket and leaves. I'm tempted to chase after him to try to fix it and make it better, but I know that I'll have another shot, anyways.

 

Sighing, I return to my barstool and order the curly fries that I've been craving ever since the night I left too early.

 

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~DATE NUMBER 6~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

 I wake up today with the full intention of learning as much about Eren as possible before our date. Ignoring the bathroom problem for the second day in a row, I slide into my slippers and quickly shuffle over to Hanji's, not giving the slightest shit what other people thought about my PJ's.

 

After about ten seconds of knocking, Hanji pulls open the door and rubs her eyes tiredly, blinking slowly at me with the same exhausted look as before. "Morning sunshine." I push past her and once again head directly to the kitchen for my cup of tea. 

 

"Leviii, what's wrong? I was working on something important." With the kettle already on the stove and boiling, I gesture for Hanji take a seat at the kitchen counter to allow me to easily explain myself. 

 

"I'm repeating this day over and over again and I can't figure out how to make it stop. But that's not important right now, I need to find out all I can about this "Eren" I'm having my blind date with." Hanji seems to quickly accept my explanation, as expected, and decides to ponder my request for a moment before answering.

 

"But why? Isn't that kind of what dates are for, finding out more about each other?" Hanji leans forward slightly on the counter and rests her chin in her hand.

 

"That's just a load of shit, Hanji, and you know that. I'm awkward enough as it is, don't make me go on a million dates with him just to figure out what he likes to eat for dessert. Now, tell me everything you know about him." I pour the hot water into my special mug that I keep over at Hanji's for occasions just like these.

 

"Well, for one, he's gay."

 

"No duh, Sherlock."

"Oh, shove it Levi, and let me talk. Anyways, he's gay and he definitely has a thing for dogs-"  _Damn it, I was hoping for cats..._ "He also volunteers a lot, his favorite place is definitely the skating rink, that's where his second home is."

 

I take a small sip of my tea to make sure it's not too hot, then take a grateful gulp to settle my nerves. "Why is that?"

 

"Well, he coaches hockey to a group of kids in the foster care system every Saturday. Not only that, but he's practically the father of them with how over-protective he gets. He's often out with his kids more than he's home. He's a sweet guy, he is." Hanji smiles slightly in my general direction, her tired eyes too glazed over to really see where she is looking.

 

I quickly swallow the rest of tea and place the mug in the sink, dashing for the door.

 

"Hey, Levi, where are you gong in such a hurry?" 

 

"I'm going to get dressed, then I'll be right back over. Make sure you have the car ready."

 

\---------------

 

"What's the team name again?" 

 

"Team Titan, winner of last year's regional cup in the Trost District." Hanji rubs her gloved hands together in an attempt to keep warm while I keep my eyes glued on Eren out on the ice. The kids are currently gathered around Eren in the middle of the rink to hear the game plan for the next drill. I can't hear what he is saying, but by both his and the children's wide smiles I can tell it's something inspirational. Eren claps twice and the team breaks up to take positions, Eren skating off to the side to watch their plays.

 

"Do you know how much ice skating lessons are?"

 

\----------------

 

It's been a few years since I've stepped out on the ice, but thanks to the instructor I'm able to pick it up in under twenty minutes. I had started out wobbly and slip sliding all over the rink, but gradually I managed straight lines and eventually the tricks that had won me medals back in the day.

 

I leave the rink feeling prepared and thrilled for what the next day is to bring. When I return home, rather than watching Attack On Titan once more, I decide to go right to sleep so tomorrow- I mean, today- can start sooner. I turn the lights off with a wide grin and fall right to sleep.

 

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~DATE NUMBER 7~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

 

I practically jump out of bed this morning and scramble for my phone. I overturn the furniture in my room and pull all of the blankets off my bed to look for it so I would be able to tell Eren my change of plans. I nearly break down trying to find it, then almost cry in relief when I discover it in the most obvious spot, the same place it had been every time: my nightstand.

 

Anxiously I plop down on the edge of my naked bed and respond to Eren's cheesy text.

 

_**Actually, I was wondering if we could go for earlier in the day, my parents are coming over later tonight.** _

 

I wait not two minutes for Eren's quick response.

 

**_I suppose that's alright, would you be okay meeting at the skating rink at 3? It'll be catching the tail-end of my shift, I can meet you then._ **

 

I respond with a 'yes' and begin to get ready for later, barely able to contain my excitement.

 

\---------

 

I check my reflection in the glass of the doors, then step inside the building to wait near the locker room for his session to be over. While I wait, I decide to look at all the trophies that Eren had won with his hockey team, each one paired with a beautiful picture of the team surrounding him with the brightest smiles I've ever seen.

 

"Levi, right?" I turn around a bit startled and nod, looking up to Eren's kind eyes to make sure it's the right person. It frustrates me to no end that I know him fairly well at this point and he hardly knows anything about me. "Well, what would you like to do?"

 

"Actually, I was wondering if you could teach me how to skate."

 

\-----------

 

We hobble out onto the ice together, Eren wearing his heavy-duty hockey skates and me wearing a rented pair of flimsy white skates. I grip his arm tightly as I step out onto the ice, nearly losing my balance on the slippery surface.

 

"Woah there, I got you." Eren places his other hand over mine to hold on tighter and gently pulls me forward. "Have you ever been skating before?" rather then answering, I ease my arm out of his and ease my way slowly forward, still putting on the charade of being clumsy and almost falling over. Eren skates closely beside me, his arms constantly out to prepare to catch me. I suppose it would be sweeter if I didn't know beforehand that I really had no need for it.

 

I slowly pick up speed and shed the charade. "Woah, Levi, take it easy, you don't want to hurt yourse-" It's then I spot the kids that Eren had coached not long before walking by and I decide it's a good time to embarrass him. With a wide grin, I launch myself forward into a 360 spin and land smoothly on the ice, skating rapid circles around him backwards and chuckling at his shocked expression.

 

"You- you, I- what?" Eren remains absolutely baffled as he continues to stare at me perform little tricks, literally doing laps around him. 

 

"I _may_  have skated before." I come to a stop and rest my hand on his shoulder as a mocking comfort. "It's okay, I understand, ice-skating is a tricky sport, but you'll get it one day, because I believe in you." Eren opens and closes his mouth like a fish, looking back and forth between my hand on his shoulder and my eyes. Realizing he may not be comfortable with me putting my hands on him, I remove it and let it dangle clumsily. 

 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." I lift my toe pick from the ice and steady myself to push off away from Eren.

 

"Wait, Levi, don't worry about it." His hand grips mine tightly and pulls me closer. "I don't mind at all." He cheekily grins and begins to skate off, his hand remaining in mine. I stand still, shocked from his surprisingly accepting attitude, then quickly speed up to avoid being dragged along.

 

The sun slowly sets in the distance, the glowing rays being warped by the dome of glass over the rink. I glance at Eren quickly to see his smile, then face back forward to avoid crashing into the wall. 

 

"Hey, Levi?" I turn my head sideways to look at him and give a small nod of acknowledgment for him to keep speaking. "I think this may have been the best first date I've ever had. You've definitely showed me up with your skating skills, bravo for that." I inwardly grin at that, he doesn't even know that is really my seventh re-try. 

 

We drift over to the side of the rink, near the penalty box, and Eren gently pulls his hand out of mine. I frown slightly, disappointed to have the lack of his warmth. He notices my frown and holds up a one finger 'wait'.

 

Trusting him, I cling to the side and watch him bend over to grab something from the floor of the box. I lean over the side a bit more in an attempt to see what he's doing. Suddenly my skate starts slipping and I windmill my arms to try to keep myself from falling over. Eren finishes plugging something in and turns around to return to me, then launches himself forward to try to grab me before I fall.

 

His hand grabs mine and yanks me to him, throwing us both past the box and skidding on the ice. We roll a bit and come to a stop with Eren partially on top me, laughing hysterically. I look past his head to see the newly glowing lights crisscrossed over the rink, illuminating the ice with a gentle halo. One of the lights is positioned directly behind his head, creating a circle of light around his head.

 

"Hey, Eren?" I re-focus my gaze on Eren's eyes, smiling lightly.

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Can I kiss you?" Eren doesn't respond, rather he breaks into a grin and closes in for me. And that's how our first (good) date ends, the two of us under the glow of little lights and a setting sun appreciating the company of each other.

 

 

 

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~DATE NUMBER 8~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

 

This time when I wake up, I'm more confused and frustrated than ever.

 

"But why?! The date went so well!" I throw my blankets off and stomp off to the kitchen to make myself some toast and tea in hopes of thinking through an answer. It's not until the kettle has already started to whistle that I realize something: my ex. There must be something with him...

 

I sit down with my cup of tea and buttered toast at the dining room table and begin to brainstorm out loud. "I must be repeating this day so I can get with Eren, but that seems to have already happened, so then what's going on? It looked like my ex was going to propose, why else would he be outside a jewelry store? Unless he was going in to get the ring...but then why did he already have the box?!" I take a large bite of my toast and ponder that while I chew. "Maybe he had a reference ring for the size...holy shit, what about when my ring went missing?!" I completely stop eating for a few minutes when I think back to that.

 

There was one day, about five months before our breakup, that I had gone looking for my ring to wear out shopping and I couldn't seem to find it. When I had asked him about it, he just shrugged and didn't say another word. It was only a week after that when our relationship started to go a bit sour.

 

"So if I help him get the ring, then will the day stop repeating?" I finish eating my toast and set my mug in the sink before running out the door, still in PJ's.

 

It's not until I'm already halfway there that I realize this fact and I decide that there's no way I can show up looking like that. I change courses and decide to just go on a drive through downtown. If the day truly will repeat until that gets fixed, then it doesn't matter how much time I waste since I'll always have another shot.

 

With this soothing thought in mind, I slowly drive past all of the cute little shops with beautiful window displays. This year's theme was "snowflakes", so every window has some type of variation or interpretation of snowflakes. I get distracted by a particularly sparkly display and nearly run over a kid on the side of the road playing with his dog.

 

I quickly right myself and intend to drive past, but instead I pull over to the side and get out of the car to talk to him. I recognize him as one of the players on Eren's team and remember him as the best player by far.

 

"Hey, kid, what are you doing playing with your dog on the side of the road?" He jerks his head up and prepares to run off with his dog in tow, but I put my hands up to show I don't mean any harm. He visibly relaxes a tiny bit, but remains fairly tense.

 

"What does it matter to you?" The kid continues to pet the small terrier on the top of its head, fending off its attacking tongue.

 

"It's not the safest place to be playing with a dog. And don't you have hockey practice?" The kid's eyes widen slightly and I realize there isn't any good way to explain how I know that. It's not like anyone (besides Hanji) would believe that I'm repeating the day over and over again. "I'm from the ASPCA and I was called in to help look for a boy with a dog from the local foster care hockey team, they said he went missing shortly after this morning's warm-up ." I'm surprised by how easily the lie slips from my lips.

 

"Oh, uh, I suppose that's me...am I in trouble? I'm not supposed to have this dog, I know, but I can't leave it out here to die!" I simply gesture for the boy to join me in my car. "What about the dog?"

 

"He can come, too." I patiently wait for the boy and the dog to get in the car, then I head directly for the rink.

 

\-----------------

 

I wait for the rest of the boys to leave the area and go to the locker room before approaching Eren with Emmanuel, as I came to know is his name. Emmanuel keeps a tight grip on his dog, as though he's afraid it'll be torn out of his hands at any moment. 

 

"Hello Eren, I found this boy and I thought I should re-"

 

"OH, Emmanuel, where have you been?! The team has been so worried about you!!" Eren takes Emmanuel in his arms for a hug, then freezes when he notices the dog. "Where did you get this little guy? You know you're not supposed to have pets, Emmy." Eren gives him a stern look that breaks into a smile, then finally notices me.

 

"Thanks for bringing him back, it means a lot. How did you know my name?" He shoos Emmanuel and the dog to the locker room, surely to be greeted by all of his friends.

 

"I work for the ASPCA and I...uh..." I internally panic, trying to figure out a lie that makes some sense.

 

"Oh, alright, I'm sure you just wanted to check to make sure the dog was safe, right? Well, don't worry about it. Technically the boys aren't allowed to have dogs, but I think I can manage watching over the poor guy." Eren glances at the locker room door and then smiles at me.

 

"So, uh, nice to meet you, I'm Levi." I stiffly stick my hand out for a handshake. It feels odd to re-introduce yourself to someone you kissed just last night, especially so meaningfully.

 

"Hi, I'm Eren, but I guess you already knew that. I'm just curious, why are you in your PJ's?" I look down and realize that I had forgotten about them, the whole reason I wasn't going to do something productive today.

 

"It was a last minute kind of call." I can feel myself blush lightly, there's no way I can keep this act up for very long without breaking down and doing something drastic in hopes of Eren recognizing me. "I have other stuff I'm supposed to get back to, so I should probably get going."

 

"Of course, have a nice day, Levi!!" I wave over my shoulder and head straight to my car, embarrassment clouding my thoughts.  _You know what sounds nice right about now? Some ice-cream and anime..._

**~ ~ ~DATE NUMBER 9~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

 

The instant I wake up I'm already prepping myself for the day.  _Today's the day..._

 

_\------------_

 

Fully dressed and elated to finally get things right, I head directly for the jewelry store. I make sure to arrive a few minutes early and already be in the store so I don't miss him. I only have to wait a few minutes until the bell dings as the door opens and he walks in, looking around with an intimidated expression. I make sure to smooth out my hair and straighten my shirt before heading over.

 

"Hey, look, I know our relationship didn't end well and I'm sorry, but I'd like to try to make things better by taking you out for a coffee and help you find the ring. I know what you're thinking, and no, this is not an attempt to get back together, it's an attempt to be friends. So?" I can tell it takes him a few seconds to get it through his head, then he nods reluctantly.

 

Grinning like a mad man, I turn around to the case and begin the wild search for the right ring.

 

\------------

 

"Why did it end?" I take another sip from my tea and set it down on the counter. He raises his head momentarily from the squared diamond ring to glance at me.

 

"Well, you got obsessed." 

 

"ExcUSE ME?" I can't help but get angry at that. However, when I look at him, his expression is one of honest-to-good apology. "Okay, explain."

 

"Well, after your friend's wife died, you got obsessed with marriage. All you talked about was getting married and having kids and buying a house, you didn't treasure the small things anymore. And I didn't want that." He stares intently at the ring, likely trying to avoid my gaze for fear of being reprimanded. However, I completely understand where he is coming from. The death of my friend's wife hit me hard, and I didn't want to be like them: alone for the rest of my life.

 

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't think-"

 

"Exactly, you didn't think." He stops and takes a deep breath, then lifts his eyes to look at me. "Look, I'm not mad at you. I actually kind of feel like I owe it to you, if we hadn't broken up I never would've found Rachel." His confession makes me feel bitter, but I have to agree. The end of our relationship was not only the reason for mine and Eren's first date going terribly, but also the only reason that we could continue the first dates until it was just right. I suddenly have the urge to smother him with a hug and kisses, but I realize that probably would be a big step backwards.

 

"I'm glad we could sort this out like civilized people, but I must be on my way. I'm meeting up with Rachel at the park in ten minutes and I don't want to be late. Goodbye, Levi." I nod and watch as he leaves, then immediately whip my phone out of my pocket to text Eren.

 

_**Sorry, I can't make tonight, something popped up. Definitely another time, though :)** _

 

My conscience feels cleared knowing he won't be left to wonder what happened, and now I have the rest of the day to plan tomorrow's first date. Or rather, should I say  _party._

 

**~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~DATE NUMBER 10~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~**

 

"Okay, Hanji, I've called everybody and only a few have yet to get back to me, how's the food looking?" I flip through the notebook of party plans to see what else is left to get done.

 

"It's going well, the caterer is going to cost us a bit, though. And the bakery already has half of the food done, the pies are supposedly in the oven right now, should be coming in nice and hot."

 

"Great! Fantastic! I'm going to go out and get the paper plates and stuff, I'll pop in later to check on you. Buh bye!" I hang up and throw my coat on quickly, only just seeing the time. In order to get to the jewelry place on time I'm going to have to go a bit over the speed limit.  _It's not like it's the worst thing I've done in my life._

 

\---------------

 

"Hey, look, I know our relationship didn't end well and I'm sorry, but I'd like to try to make things better by taking you out for a coffee and help you find the ring. I know what you're thinking, and no, this is not an attempt to get back together, it's an attempt to be friends." I already know his answer, so I continue on to look for the same ring we had chosen from the case the day before. "And get that ring."

 

"Thanks Lev-" I'm out the door before he even finishes saying my name, headed for Walmart to get the rest of the party supplies.

 

\---------------

 

"Come in, come in, watch your step." I open the door once more and stand behind it to prevent the cold from creeping into my clothes. I'm about to shut the door when Eren suddenly slips through last minute. He's bundled up in his scarf and gloves, a hugging black coat keeping his torso warm. Every other time I've seen him, he's worn a heavy, loose-fitting flannel. His figure is sexy, that's for sure.

 

"Hey, can you tell me who Levi is? I'm supposed to meet him he-"

 

"That would be me." I'm already beaming with excitement, thinking about the rest of the party.

 

"Oh, okay then." Eren chuckles lightly and removes his scarf and gloves, followed by his coat.

 

"Let me take that for you." Eren gratefully hands it over and I hang it in the hallway closet before leading him to the living room where the rest of the party had gathered. A table full of food has front and center, a warm crackling fireplace in the back. Around fifteen people mill around, most of them family members of Hanji's. Petra is the only one, aside from Eren, that I had invited. My family hasn't been the  _best,_ but Petra's always been there for me.

 

"So..." Eren stands beside the food table and grabs a cookie, eating it in one bite. 

 

"Well, it's nice to meet you Eren."

 

"Same to you." Eren grins and sticks his hand out for me to shake it. I look at it for a few seconds, reminding myself that this is the first time has has met me, and holding it next to me would not be proper. Finally I shake it, but not without getting chills up and down my spine.

 

We make small talk about the weather and current politics, slowly drifting closer to the fireplace.

 

"-and that Trump, oh how I hate him! How can people vote for him?!"

 

"I like him." I look at Eren in disbelief, then notice his mischevious grin and give him a little shove.

 

"You nearly got me, brat." We come to a stop directly in front of the fireplace, the warm light casting itself onto Eren in a stunning way. The yellow light illuminates his bright green eyes and makes them appear more childish and wonderous. 

 

I find myself with a nearly over-whelming urge to lean in and kiss him, every grain of me lit up with the command. I nearly do, but I suddenly walk away from Eren to stop it from happening. With blush burning my cheeks, I head directly outside without my coat, eager to get away to avoid screwing everything up.

 

However, I feel the screen door shut behind me to announce Eren's presence.

 

"Levi? You alright?" The snow crunches lightly under his feet as he moves closer. I focus intently on one of the fairy lights strung over the backyard of the apartment complex. One of the couples downstairs had strung them up to spread holiday cheer and they had remaines year-round since then.

 

"Levi?" Eren's suddenly next to me, looking at me with genuine and practically heart-breaking concern.

 

"It's just- I love you Eren. I love you more than you know, and I can understand. I haven't known you for very long, and you've known me for even less of that time, but during that time I've fallen in love and you can't even remember it. Every time I see you I want to pick up where we left off; but for you, there was no leave off. Every time it's something new and I can't stand it. I just want to kiss you but you don't want to kiss me because you don't even know me! And none of it is your fault, either, it's all my fault!" I can't stop the tears from pricking in the corner of my eyes.

 

"Levi, I-"

 

"And I just ruined everything, too! I wanted tonight to be perfect but I had to go and explode and now I can't fix it and all I want to to do is be with you and live a new day and I can't-" Suddenly Eren's lips are on mine.  _Oh my god...Eren's kissing me...he's kissing me and I'm kissing him...my lips are touching Eren's...oh my god!_

 

Eren suddenly pulls back, looking as surprised as I do. We stare at each other for a few moments in silence, both too stunned to speak. I quickly remember how late it is and grab my watch to look at the time.

 

"It's midnight...it's...it's MIDNIGHT! AHAHA IT'S MIDNIGHT!!" I grab Eren's hands in mine and kiss him again, pulling back with a laugh. "I did it! WE did it!!" Eren looks as confused as can be, as expected, but happy nonetheless. 

 

People begin to pour out of the house and into the backyard to see what caused my excitement. Before I can even try to explain, little white flurries begin to fall from the sky and everyone bursts into cheer and laughter.

 

"Ahaha! Oh, Eren, my sweet Eren, I love you." He chuckles warmly and places a kiss on my cheek, actions speaking more than words. Finally, we're getting somewhere.

 

 

 

 

_******THE END****** _

 

**Author's Note:**

> That was a whopper of a story. You may have picked up on me leaving out the names of some side characters like Eren's late husband and Levi's ex. I did that to prevent any uproar about who it was. I know there are probably some typos and mistakes, but it's far too big for me to accurately proof-read. I hope you enjoyed, let me know if you find anything that I may have missed. Feedback is appreciated but not expected, thanks for reading!!


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